Arabic version: ثلاثي ريال مدريد يحجب رسالة دعم لسبتة

According to BBC News, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konate rolled up pre-game T-shirts before Real Madrid’s match at Elche on Tuesday, obscuring part of a message supporting the people of Ceuta. Players from both teams entered Martinez Valero wearing white shirts reading “Todos somos caballas”, translated as “We are all Ceutans”, alongside references to the Spanish autonomous city.

Most players wore the shirts fully, but Mbappe, Vinicius and Konate had theirs rolled up to around chest height. Mbappe and Vinicius removed their shirts before the pre-match handshake, while Konate kept his on for longer. Their Real Madrid team-mates and Elche’s players continued wearing the shirts during the pre-match formalities.

La Liga president Javier Tebas criticised the trio’s actions, saying: “We saw three players decide not to wear it – putting it half on is the same as not wearing it… bad, bad.” Tebas said the initiative, proposed by a group of entrepreneurs from the Valencia region, had been approved by La Liga and was “not a political act of any type”. Representatives of the players have been asked for comment.

The campaign followed a major migration crisis in Ceuta, which is on the North African coast, borders Morocco and is separated from mainland Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar. At least 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on 30 and 31 July, according to figures from the city’s mayor. At least 100 people died during the crossing, while as many as 5,000 remain in makeshift camps or on streets and beaches.

Real Madrid recovered after surrendering a two-goal lead to beat Elche 3-2, with Carlos Espi scoring a stoppage-time winner. Mbappe was among Madrid’s scorers and Vinicius started the match. Barcelona did not take part in the initiative, while players at other La Liga fixtures wore the shirts as intended.